Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Besan chilla, sometimes referred to as an eggless “omelet” is a savory pancake made using chickpea flour. The flour is mixed with water, spices and vegetables like tomatoes and onions to make a thick batter.

This is a simple and healthy preparation, perfect for breakfast, and can be made in less than 15 minutes.

I like my chillas thin, so I add a lot of liquid while making the batter so that it spreads out while cooking. I’ve used a combination of buttermilk and water here. The chillas taste best when they are eaten as soon as they are made.

Ingredients:

(makes 7- 8 thin chillas)

1 cup besan (chickpea flour/ gram flour)

½ cup rice flour

2 Tbsp rava/sooji (cream of wheat)

½ cup cooked quinoa (optional- I only used it because I had leftovers)

½ medium onion, finely chopped

1 tomato, finely diced

A handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

3-4 green chillies, finely chopped

1 tsp roasted cumin powder

1 tsp roasted coriander powder

1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

1 cup reduced fat buttermilk

½ - ¾ cup water

Salt

Oil

Method:

Add the besan, rava, rice flour, cooked quinoa, chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder, ajwain and salt to a large bowl. Add a cup of buttermilk and enough water, mixing well to get a smooth and lump-free batter.

Heat a non-stick griddle or a cast-iron pan. Pour a ladleful of the batter in the center of the pan. Tilt the pan around to spread out the batter.

Add a few drops of oil around the edges of the chilla and also a little in the center. Cook till it turns golden brown on the bottom, then flip over and cook the other side till you see a few golden brown spots. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

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The recipes you see here are ones that have worked for me in my kitchen and have been tailored to suit my palate. There is no guarantee that it would do the same for you. Please use my recipes merely as guidelines and feel free to adapt it to cater to your needs.